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Reflect

Before stepping away and disconnecting from your work, it's a good idea to look back at all you've done in the past few months while it's still fresh in your mind. It's easy to let accomplishments fade away into footnotes among all of the endless work, especially when they're drawn out over an entire semester, but it's important to recognize and take pride in good work.

Making a point to intentionally engage with meaningful reflection and self-directed learning can directly contribute to reenergizing faculty and improving motivation (). It helps you take pride in what you have done well and prepares you to re-engage with your work when you return after the break.

So let's stop and take some time to reflect:

Now, it's important to clarify that this initial reflection is not necessarily meant to promote more work. Planning for the next semester can wait until after you have had a chance to rest and recover, so try to refrain from thinking about what you could have done better or might want to change. Falling into the trap of persistent rumination can negate the efficacy of your vacation (Flaxman et al., 2023).

Instead, imagine it like you're tidying up your office before leaving work for the end of the day. You're preparing the space to return to later, setting up your future self for success when it's time to come back. 

And with that done, now you can finally relax.

Recharge

Our next step is to just stop and enjoy your winter break. Taking time to unwind and disconnect from work responsibilities helps you restore energy and reduce stress after a demanding semester.

So grab that book you've been trying to read all semester or visit and call a friend to catch up. Or, if you're not a fan of sedentary rest, try to engage in activities that are novel and bring joy, like picking up a new hobby, trying out an escape room, or traveling to somewhere fun.

Just so long as you aren't thinking about work. 

Empirical studies show that academic breaks promote restoration of energy, reductions in exhaustion, and improved affective states (). They help give faculty time to recover from the semester, which supports sustained well-being and resilience. 

Rest is not a luxury; it’s a critical step that allows faculty to bring their best selves when its finally time to return to work. 

Reimagine

And now that you're rested and recharged, we can start to consider more proactive types of reflection as you get ready to return to work. Thanks to our first step, your primed and prepared to identify what worked well previously and what may need improvement.

Some things to consider as you plan for the spring semester:

Conclusion

As you celebrate and bring in the new year, set at least one new goal for the semester.  Consider incorporating one new teaching strategy or interactive element in your course, revise a major assessment to better align with your learning objectives, attend one professional development course (consider CITL workshops), collaborate with a cross-disciplinary colleague (on campus), create and integrate an engaging video in your course, update your LMS course shell for clarity or accessibility using UDL (Universal Design for Learning) principles. 

And remember, you are an asset, and your hard work has made a meaningful impact on your students and Lamar. You are worth the time to pause, reflect, and recharge. Taking care of yourself is not only essential for your well-being but also for sustaining the creativity and passion that makes your teaching extraordinary.  

Have a reflective, restful break and best wishes for renewed opportunities ahead. 

References

Flaxman, P. E., Stride, C. B., Newman, S. A., & Menard, J. (2023). Patterns and predictors of change in energy and mood around a vacation from the workplace: Distinguishing the effects of supplemental work activity and work-related perseverative cognition. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 96(1), 1–27.

Gardner, S. K. (2021). Faculty learning and professional growth in the sabbatical leave. Innovative Higher Education, 46(3), 545–561.

Sonnentag, S., Cheng, B. H., & Parker, S. L. (2022). Recovery from work: Advancing the field toward the future. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 9, 33–60.

Springer, A., Grabowski, D., & others. (2023). Occupational burnout and chronic fatigue in the work of academic teachers-moderating role of selected health behaviors. PLOS ONE, 18(1).